An indefinite transport strike has been enforced on the Pabna-Dhaka route following allegations of assault on a bus worker from Pabna in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj.
The strike began at 10am on Thursday, led by the Pabna District Motor Owners' Group and the Motor Workers’ Union. As of Friday afternoon, bus services on the route remain suspended.
The sudden suspension of all types of buses from Pabna to Dhaka has caused significant suffering for general passengers. Many commuters arrived at the bus terminal only to return home disappointed, unable to travel to their destinations.
Speaking about the strike, Firoz Hossain, president of the Pabna District Motor Workers’ Union, said: “On June 25, around noon, a bus from Nabinbaran Paribahan violated the rules in Shahjadpur and broke the queue. Although a Pabna bus was scheduled to depart, they left first.”
He continued: “At one point, they assaulted one of our workers, leaving several others injured. We cannot continue to accept such injustice. Workers from Shahjadpur have long been harassing Pabna’s drivers—either by not letting them go first or by extorting money. We have tolerated this repeatedly. This time, we will continue our movement until a permanent solution is reached.
The strike was jointly declared by three organisations: the Pabna Motor Owners’ Group, the Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, and the Motor Workers’ Union.
Khademul Islam Badsha, acting president of the Pabna Motor Owners’ Association, said: “Despite repeated assurances, the workers of Shahjadpur have not stopped their arbitrary actions. Unless the safety of our workers is ensured, we cannot send our buses back onto the roads.”
As a result of the strike, the Pabna Central Bus Terminal saw a heavy crowd throughout Thursday and Friday. However, with no buses in service, passengers were left stranded. Hundreds of people, including those needing to travel to Dhaka for medical treatment, work, or urgent matters, were severely inconvenienced.
As of the time of reporting, no meeting had taken place between any party and the administration. However, local authorities are reportedly monitoring the situation.
